BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The LSU gymnastics team will join five conference rivals in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday, March 23 for the 21st-annual Southeastern Conference Gymnastics Championships.
This year’s tournament will be held at a neutral site, Bartow Arena, for the first time since the SEC Championships began in 1981.
The Tigers (9-2, 3-2) will be joined by No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Alabama, No. 11 Florida, Kentucky and Auburn. This year’s SEC Championships will showcase the same line-up of teams as did a year ago.
Alabama captured the title in 2000 with a score of 197.200 while LSU and Georgia finished in a tie for second place with 196.825 performances. Florida, Kentucky and Auburn placed fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
The Tigers performance a year ago was their best at an SEC Championship since 1995 and the highest score ever at the tournament. Junior Nicki Arnstad clinched a tie when she nailed a 9.900 in the sixth and final spot on the floor.
Also returning from last season is junior Beth Boudreaux, who finished tied for second on bars with a 9.900, and junior Shanyn MacEachern, who finished third in the all-around with a 39.375.
The Tigers will begin this year’s rotation on the beam. Despite a slow start, LSU has performed strong in the latter half of the season and is coming off a season-best score 49.125 in the Tigers’ last meet against Michigan State and New Hampshire.
After a bye, LSU will move to the floor and the vault. The floor has been a strength for the Tigers positing scores of 49.500 in two of the last three outings. After another bye, LSU will end on the uneven parallel bars.
“Starting on the beam is a lot of pressure, but I would rather get that out of the way first,” LSU head coach D-D Breaux said. “Plus, we will end on bars, which has been a very good scoring event for us in the last couple of meets. From a coaching perspective, putting us into a pressure situation right from the start is good preparation for the NCAA Regionals.”
LSU’s only two losses this season have come to conference counter-parts Georgia and Alabama. The Lady Gym Dogs handed the Tigers their first loss of the year, 196.100-193.875, on Jan. 19. Two weeks later, the Tigers fell to then-No. 2 Alabama, 197.350-194.700, in Tuscaloosa. Since the Feb. 2 meet against the Crimson Tide, LSU has rattled off seven consecutive victories.